Enzymes for Brewing Traditionally production of beer is by mixing crushed barley malt and hot water in large vessel known as mash copper. This process is known as ‘mashing’. Apart from malt, other starch-based cereals such as maize (corn), sorghum, rice and barley, or pure starch itself, are added to the mash. These are known as adjuncts. After mashing, the mash is filtered in a lauter tun and the liquid, known as ’sweet wort’, is then run off to the copper, where it is boiled with hops. The ‘hopped wort’ is cooled and transferred to the fermentation vessels where yeast is added. After the fermentation, the so-called ‘green beer’ is matured before the final filtration and bottling.

Liquefying Adjuncts

Adjuncts are used as an extra source of starch in brewing and usually consist of cereals. Protein also plays a vital role in fermentation by providing soluble nitrogen compounds that the yeast needs. Since the protein proportion in some types of adjunct is very small, it may be necessary to provide extra protein in the wort. This can be done by utilising the protein in the malt more efficiently. By adding a protein splitting (protease) enzyme, more protein can be solubilised and made available to the yeast.

In their natural form, starch­based cereals such as maize grits and rice are boiled before being added to the malt mash. The boiled (gelatinised) cereals are very viscous and need to be thinned (liquefied) before they can be pumped into the mash copper. This is done using an alpha amylase. Heat-stable alpha amylases are also available that are effective even at 100?C to ensure full liquefaction of the starch

Filtration

Slow rate of filtration is generally a problem when the mash is run off in the lauter tun and also during the final filtration of the beer. This is due to the presence of certain polysaccharides, mainly beta­glucans and pentosans, which are found in barley and poorly modified barley malt. The solution is to break down the beta­glucans using a beta­glucanase added during mashing or at the start of the fermentation process.

Maps offers a range of amylases, glucoamylase, proteases for distilling depending on the processes and applications.

Palkolase HT Heat-stable alpha amylase for starch liquefaction
Palkodex Glucoamylase for starch saccharification
Palkoamylo Fungal alpha amylase for starch saccharification
Palkotase NUP Bacterial neutral protease for better yeast growth and reducing fermentation time
Palkobrew BG Beta glucanase for improved wort separation and beer filtration
Palkobrew APG AAlpha amylase, protease and beta glucanase for brewing high level djuncts